Jump rope



United States Patent O 3,212,777 JUMP ROPE Louis J. Spoczynski, 1345 W. Wrightwood Ave., Chicago, Ill. Fixed oct. 17, 1963, ser. No. 316,822 2 Claims. (Cl. 272--75) This invention relates to a jump rope and more partielllarly is concerned with providing improvements in jump ropes in the form of a novel noisemaker handle structure and the the form of a novel swing section that enables various reverse swish maneuvers.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel handle structure for a jump rope in the form of a noise-making squeeze bulb.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel swing section for a jump rope in the form of a self-conforming semi-flexible length of tubing that facilitates reverse swish swinging movements in alternating sequence between a fore and aft mode of movement `and a crosswise mode of movement.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show structure embodying preferred features of the present invention and the principles thereof, and what is now considered to be the best mode in which to apply these principles.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIG. l is a front view of a jump rope constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of FIG. l; and

FIG. 3 is a View illustrating the jump rope in a horizontal U-shaped cantilever configuration to denote the droop effect which enables rapid reverse swish movements.

Referring now to the drawings, the jump rope is designated in its entirety at in FIG. l and it includes a main length swing section 11 having opposite ends 11E, each equipped with a handle structure 12.

While the term jump rope" is employed herein, it is intended to designate the general nature of the device and the usage thereof, and should not be construed to describe only conventional rope construction. More specifically, it should be understood that the swing section 11 may be made of conventional rope or of any other flexible or semi-flexible material, as one aspect of the invention is the provision, for any device of this type, of a novel handle structure in the form of a noisemaker type of squeeze bulb 12.

For purposes of disclosure, the squeeze bulb 12 is illustrated in FIG. 2 as connected `to a rope end 11E of hollow tubular form. The squeeze bulb 12 is lixedly secured to the rope end 11E and extends in general endwise alignment therefrom and is equipped with a passaged whistle elements 13 that is responsive to manual squeezing of air from the bulb to produce a whistle sound. It will be apparent that other types of noisemaker elements responsive to rapid expulsion of air from the squeeze bulb may be utilized to produce audible vibrations exhibiting characteristic sounds other than that of the conventional whistle sound.

The squeeze bulb 12 is preferably of a resiliently yieldable thin walled rubber-like material exhibiting a normal protuberant configuration as illustrated in FIG. 2 to define an air chamber 14 having a wall opening for mounting the whistle element 13 which, as is conventional, provides an air flow passage establishing communication between the air chamber 14 and atmosphere. The whistle 3 ,2 12,77 7 Patented Oct. 19, 1965 ICC element 13 may be of any well known type which normally includes an interior float means (not shown) con- `fine-d in its air passage and responsive to rapid `collapse of the bulb and expulsion of air therethrough for producing the whistle sound.

In the particular construction illustrated in FIG. 2, the squeeze bulb 12 has a tubular stub end 12E affixed directly on the corresponding rope end 11E in telescoping air tight sealing relation thereover.

The squeeze bulb 12 includes a closure wall 12W located Within the stub end 12E and spanning the opening of the rope end 11E to prevent air flow between the bulb chamber 14 and the interior of the hollow swing section 11. The closure wall 12W may be in the form of a separate plug having a nose portion 12N that projects into the rope end 11E in sealed relation therewith. Alternatively, the plug may be formed integrally with the remainder of the squeeze bulb 12 and have a suciently elongated nose portion 12N as to effect a sufficiently strong mechanical connection to the rope end 11E and thus eliminate any need for a tubular stub end 12E.

It should be apparent that the squeeze bulb elements 12 provide extremely convenient handles to facilitate reverse swish manipulation of the swing section and the coordinated squeezing of the bulb with swinging of the jump rope gives added enjoyment to the user and permits various combinations of rhythmic noise and motion patterns to be executed.

In particular, where the swing section 11 is of a particular semi-flexible construction, the jump rope rnay repeatedly be swung through a rapid reverse swish type movement. The hand action of the user in effecting rapid reverse movements concurrently actuates the squeeze bulbs to produce a whistle sound that is timed with the swing reversals.

A present constructional embodiment of the invention utilizes a swing section 11 originally formed as a six-foot (or 72-inch) length straight section of tubing of a polyethylene plastic or similar material. Tubing of this length and having an inside diameter of and a wall thickness of 3gig" is illustrated in FIG. 3 in the position which it assumes when being end supported in a U-shaped horizontal cantilever configuration. Thus, when each of the handle ends of the swing section 11 are hand supported along a generally horizontal direction, the curved end of the U exhibits a droop designated by dimension lines at D in FIG. 3 on the order of 3 inches to denote a droop ratio on the order of 3 divided by 72.

This defined droop ratio serves as a figure of merit relative to the semi-flexible characteristic of the swing section 11 which enables it to be self-conforming from its original straight length -to assume a generally U-shaped configuration upon continued usage in such configuration for effecting reverse swish movement patterns. Particularly, the wing section may be maneuvered in an alternating sequence between a fore and after movement mode l and a crosswise movement mode, and -this requires some yieldability of the swing section as its configuration must be altered by the user in switching from one mode to the other.

Thus, while preferred constructional features of the invention are embodied in the structure illustrated herein, it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appending claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A jump rope comprising a swing section and handle means at each end of said swing section, at least one of said handle means consisting of a squeeze bulb of resiliently yieldable thin walled material having a normal configuration defining a hollow air chamber and having a wall opening therein, a noisemaker element mounted in 3 4 said Wall opening and an air ow passage provided in References Cited by the Examiner said element and communicating between said chamber UNITED STATES PATENTS and atmosphere, said noisemaker element including means `responsive to rapid collapse of said bulb by a squeezing 63'g90 9/99 H'nkson et al" 272-75 action and consequent movement of air through said 5 11 7' 38 6/16 Hughes -r 46"'178 X 1,817,616 8/31 Gof 272-75 passage for producing audible sound.

2. A jump rope as set forth in claim 1 in which the 3074717 1/63 Lutz 2/2-74 swing section is made of thin Walled hollow tubular ma- FOREIGN PATENTS terial and is semi-flexible to an extent that it exhibits a 27,810 droop ratio on the order of 3/ 72 when end-supported in 10 11/97 Great Brltam U-shaped horizontal cantilever configuration. RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A JUMP ROPE COMPRISING A SWING SECTION AND HANDLE MEANS AT EACH END OF SAID SWING SECTION, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID HANDLE MEANS CONSISTING OF A SQUEEZE BULB OF RESILIENTLY YIELDABLE THIN WALLED MATERIAL HAVING A NORMAL CONFIGURATION DEFINING A HOLLOW AIR CHAMBER AND HAVING A WALL OPENING THEREIN, A NOISEMAKER ELEMENT MOUNTED IN SAID WALL OPENING AND AN AIR FLOW PASSAGE PROVIDED IN SAID ELEMENT AND COMMUNICATING BETWEEN SAID CHAMBER AND ATMOSPHERE, SAID NOISEMAKER ELEMENT INCLUDING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO RAPID COLLAPSE OF SAID BULB BY A SQUEEZING ACTION AND CONSEQUENT MOVEMENT OF AIR THROUGH SAID PASSAGE FOR PRODUCING AUDIBLE SOUND. 